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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Today I am thinking about how nice it would be to be living a charmed
life. You know the type of life I am talking about. Be happy, no worries. We
all know people who seem to live a charmed life. They have excellent health, an
amazing spouse, perfect children and grandchildren, and plenty of money. These
folks travel and lay on sunny beaches. They eat in the best restaurants and
shop and spend till they drop. They do not worry about the details of living
because others are doing their work while they play. Realistically, this sounds
a little bit like they live on “FantasyIsland”. Yet in the world
we live in it seems that there are many who are chasing after all of the above.
Many people pretend to have achieved the brass ring of the good life on the
outside but on the inside there is pain, sadness, regrets, discontentment,
disappointment, and a longing for the next thing to bring them happiness.

It is in the garden of my heart that Jesus speaks his truth. “Paula,
this type of living is not the charmed life!” At his suggestion, I take off my rose colored
glasses and instantly my vision begins to take in the beauty of God’s garden.
This garden is real, vibrant, and beautiful no matter what season of life I
find myself experiencing. The grape hyacinths bloom a beautiful deep blue
announcing the peace of Jesus, the red geraniums flash bright colors of indescribable
joy, the mums of autumn are warm and soothing, reminding me of the warmth of
God’s everlasting love. When the winter of life comes to my garden, God
covers life’s interruptions of sorrow with a white blanket of peace. Even in those
times of sorrow, if I will choose to look, I will always find a ray of God’s glorious
sunshine. Yes, this indeed is living the charmed life.

The charmed life is available to all who will believe in Jesus Christ
and choose to follow him into the garden of personal growth. It is here those who have found Jesus experience his divine
glory. God’s glory shines in the garden of our hearts and comforts us in
our times of need. His glory is revealed when we experience the joy that is
always the result of our gratitude. God’s love allows us to look into the mind
of our Savior, Jesus Christ so we might leave the garden of prayer a person,
who is filled with his love, mercy, and grace. God desires that we walk life’s
journey in peace because we trust our Lord to make our steps firm. When we live
this way God will take delight in us. Even though we may stumble, make
mistakes, or fall Jesus is always holding us with his strong hand. He upholds us in all
that concerns us. This is living the charmed life! As a follower of Jesus
Christ we are privileged to walk daily in a warm and personal relationship with
him. In this life it really never gets any better than that!

I am reminded that all our provisions and blessings come straight from the
hand of God. Curiously, it is the believer that expresses gratitude to God.
Still because of God’s great love he blesses even those who do not stop to
offer him gratitude. They are spiritually bankrupt because they do not know the
source of their provision and their many blessings. The reality of the true
charmed life continues to elude them as they listen only to the voices of
deception. This message fills the minds of these individuals and they
become self-centered in their desires and prideful of all they achieve. They do
not need God because they are their own source of blessing. But at the very
least, the truth is, without God’s breath of life within them and the gifts and talents he has endowed them with, they could do
nothing.

I am about to leave the garden but before I leave the Master Gardener
gives me some words of warning. “Paula, remember life is meaningless
without me. Satan is a roaring lion seeking to enter your mind and destroy all
that is good in your garden. He wants you to have no part of God’s charmed
life. Remember, in this world you will have trouble. Your life is a continual
ebb and flow. Good times will wash out to sea and bad times will rush to your
shore. There will be times of sickness and health, and times of plenty and times of need, and you
will experience both joy and sorrow. Do
not be deceived by Satan’s lie that says I do not care, because I care deeply. Do
not become discontent with where you are in life. Remember I have your hand. Another
word of warning, discontentment is a major tool of Satan. Chasing after what is
not important can be fatal.
Contentment with my daily provision and care for you will be strength to
your bones. I know what you need physically, mentally, and spiritually. Do
not believe that the grass is greener in your neighbor’s yard. Stop comparing
yourself to others. Do not believe that others live a charmed life while you
are faced with the real problems of life. Bear in mind you will have all that you
need at the exact moment you need it, you must trust me. I have your back and all
I have is yours. Do not fear the outcome of the black and white facts of life,
rather trust me. In this life some things may not end well from an earthly
perspective but I will never leave you or forsake you. Heaven’s gates are open
wide and you have a seat at my table. Even during the times when life trips you
up you may stumble but you will not fall. Under you are my everlasting arms. The
“ultimate” charmed life will be revealed to you in eternity. Stay with me until
then.”

Questions:

What do you believe the charmed life to be?

Do you consider yourself at this moment to be
content or discontent?

What is your source of discontentment?

Who is the
source of your contentment?

How does God describe the charmed life?

What will you do this year to deepen your
relationship with God so that you might recognize the charmed life God has
for you each day?

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I have so much to be thankful
for. Even if the pay check doesn’t come or reports from the doctor are not
good, still there is so much to be thankful for. Even if the winds of natural
disaster blow over all I own, I will still find reason to praise and worship you.
Rock bottom is never a place I want to go but if I find myself there help me to
trust that you are holding my hand. Jesus, forgive me when I slip into
the sin of discontentment that destroys my focus and cancels my hope. Help me
to re-evaluate my priorities and then give them to you for arranging. Lord, I
don’t want to overload myself with the trivial and insignificant things of life
and as a result snuff out the charmed life you have planned for me. Help me to
know that sometimes I must say no to good things so that I can have time to
spend with you and the family you have given me. Father, I know that the
charmed life is a life that cannot be earned, purchased, or achieved.
The charmed life is in fact learning to recognize and enjoy the gifts that you freely
and abundantly give to me as I walk daily in a relationship with you. I
treasure my salvation. I am blessed to be the recipient of your love, joy, and
peace. I rejoice in the hope I have of heaven. Jesus, I thank you for blessing
me with your charmed life both now and eternally.

Paula

About Me

If I were to describe myself I would have to say that I am a quick witted woman with “salt and pepper hair,” who enjoys creativity. I have two adult children and I am extremely delighted that I am now a grandmother.

I am a native of Illinois and a past resident of Maryland; I now reside in the North Carolina Triad with my wonderful, husband Joe.

I believe that my highest calling from God has been, is, and will always be, to be a concerned, caring and passionate wife, mother, and grandmother. This is also my greatest delight! The only one who supersedes my allegiance to my family is my precious Savior, Jesus Christ. who is my utmost joy!

About This Blog

Blog entries will have a garden analogy. The word “garden” as used here, symbolizes the special place in your mind and heart where you may go as you seek to know God personally. It also symbolizes that place where you must go to develop a relationship with your creator. The “Master Gardner,” is none other than Jesus Christ.

The Garden of My Heart

How can I know if I'm a Christian?

Dear Reader, If you don't know if you are a Christian or not you probably aren't. You may be a good moral person - but that is not enough. You may believe in God - but that is not enough. You may attend church - but that is not enough. You may work and support many people in need - but that is not enough. God's Word, the Bible, tells us that... "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 NIV"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."Romans 6:23 NIVBut the good news is that it is eaiser to become a Christian than you might imagine. Simply pray to God and admit that you now realize that you have been born into this life with a sinful heart that needs to be restored to a sinless heart.When you realize that you can't fix this "sin problem" on your own by having good actions and doing good work, you are now ready to accept God's remedy. That remedy comes as a "free" gift to you. It is the gift of salvation though the sacrifice of Jesus Christ's blood that was shed for you and all mankind when he took on your personal sin and the sin of the entire world as he died on the cross. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 NIVSimply admit to God that you are a sinner in need of this gift of love and grace. By taking one tiny leap of faith, ask God to forgive your sin and restore your sinful heart to a clean pure heart. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 NIV"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10NIVNow accept this wonderful gift of salvation and thank God for this precious gift. If you have taken this simple leap of faith you are now a Christian. Congratulations! Your heart has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and you have been given access to heaven for all of eternity. Now go forward and learn as much as you can about God and enjoy the personal relationship that you now have with the God of the universe. Remember how much God loves you. He is available to you anytime and any place."Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strenghten your frame. You wll be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11 NIV